B Bhattacharya, G R Tomlinson, J R House, Vibration suppression of

structures with viscoelastic inserts, proceeding of the Institution of

Mechanical Engineers Vol 216 Part C: J Mechanical Engineering
Science 2002

For the efficient suppression of the vibration the shape of the inserts should be defined
in term of the angle of wave incident on the surface of metamaterial. This specially
designed inserts embedded within the metamaterial is helpful in reduction of flexural
and longitudinal motion of wave over a large frequency regions and significant amount
of vibration is attenuated. A tapered viscoelastic inserts embedded within metamaterial
beam which is made of fiber reinforced compositecould efficiently dissipated longitudinal
wave. The effective dissipation of vibration depends upon proper combination of density
of viscoelastic material inserted, dimension and geometry of inserts.The vibration
attenuation within the metamaterial can be improved by matching the mechanical
impedance of viscoelastic inserts with the metamaterial. Mechanical impedance
matching can be achieved by tapering the insert. Tapered inserts provides gradual
transition of wave within the viscoelastic material where strain energy is dissipated.
The effect of tapered or wedge angle on vibration attenuation is analyzed by varying
width (a) or thickness (h) by keeping volume of viscoelastic material (V) and all other
properties to be constant. This will change the insert wedge angle (θ).

Figure 1: A beam section with a viscoelastic insert.

ℎ2 𝜃
𝑉 = (𝑎ℎ + cot ) 𝑏
2 2
Where b is width of the beam
(a) The core width of the insert aifor any insert angle θi by keeping thickness (h)
constant may be expressed as

ℎ 𝜃𝑟 𝜃𝑖
𝑎𝑖 = 𝑎𝑟 + (cot − cot )
2 2 2

Figure 2: Possible variation in the shape of the insert by varying width of insert (a) with θ keeping the
volume constant

(b) The thickness of the insert hifor any insert angle θi by keeping width of insert (a)
constant may be expressed as

−𝑎 + √𝑎2 + 4 ∝1 ∝2
ℎ𝑖 =
2 ∝1
𝜃𝑖
cot ℎ𝑟2 𝜃𝑟
2
∝1 = ; ∝2 = 𝑎ℎ𝑟 + cot
2 2 2

Figure 3: Possible variation in the shape of the insert by varying thickness of insert (h) with θ keeping the
volume constant

Another important terminology associated with the analysis is modal loss factor which is
based on modal strain energy method. Undamped mode shape is used to determine
modal loss factor [2].The expression for modal loss factor consists of N elements is
given by
 ∑𝑁
𝑛=1 𝑈𝑛 𝜂𝑛
𝜂=
∑𝑁
𝑛=1 𝑈𝑛
Where 𝜂 is modal loss factor, 𝜂𝑛 is a loss factor associated with nth element and Un is a
strain energy of nth element. The modal loss factor gives loss factor of vibration mode
which is ratio of energy dissipated to energy stored within the viscoelastic material.
B Bhattacharya took aluminum as base material conducted an experiment at certain
frequency and temperature. The insert are made centrally to metamaterial beam and
appropriate insert material is chosen which provides good damping behavior for a
considered frequency and temperature.
The loss factor is determined for a range of 10 to 150 degree of wedge insert angle.
Insert angle more than 150 degree produce ill-conditioned element during analysis. The
modal loss factor is insensitive for insert angle between 10 to 40 degrees when
subjected to first and second bending modes. There is increase in loss factor between
40 to 90 degrees after that loss factor remain constant. From below graph, the
observation can be made that loss factor for first bending mode is very less as
compared with second bending mode. In case of longitudinal mode loss factor
increases between insert angle of 10 to 30 degrees then decreases until 60 degrees.

Figure 4: Variation in the predicted modal loss factors with respect to the change in the insert angle
When metamaterial is subjected to bendingthe loss factor decreasesas insert angle
decreases. This is because with reduction in insert angle, the insert viscoelastic material
move toward center and there is no strain energy at center to dissipate the vibrational
energy. Whereas when metamaterial is subjected to longitudinal load the strain is
uniform on entire cross-section. Even at low insert angles the damping behavior is not
effected.

Development in metamaterial:
In 2003 design of lattice structure for the given band gap is developed to determine
influence of band gap [2]. In 2007 influence of attached mass-spring subsystems within
metamaterial as internal resonator is analyzed [3]. In 2008 it is proved that effective
mass for metamaterial with local resonator at resonant frequency is negative. In 2008
researcher observed a negative dynamic mass density and Young's modulus when
wave is propagated through ultrasonic metamaterial beam [4]. In 2011 a plate model
with mass-spring microstructures attached inside cavities was proposed [5]. In 2013
Hussein and Frazier [6] modeled acoustic metamaterial and explained emergence of
metadamping. In same year Ma et al demonstrated cellular structures with local
resonators as metal rubber inserts. Nouh et al [7] in 2014 conducted experiment on
metamaterial with viscoelastic material supporting small mass as a resonator.

3.1 Concept of bandgap in locally resonant metastructures

Liu et al [a] proved that acoustic metamaterials has property to create band gap when
wavelength of vibration is higher than lattice size of metamaterial. This helps in creating
low frequency band gap even in smaller structures. Ho et al used metamaterial frame
with rubber coated metal spheres as a local resonator. He observed that effective mass
of resonant metamaterial becomes negative near resonant frequency.

Metamaterial with local resonator is associated with larger wavelengths compared to

lattice size which leads to attenuation of low frequency vibrations. The frequency band
region in which wave can propagates is called as “pass band” and region in which wave
propagation is blocked is called “stop band”.
The modal analysis method is used to understand band gap of metamaterial having
finite number of local resonators. This analysis can also be used for infinite
metamaterial beam by considering all local resonators tuned at same frequency. It was
observed that the expression for band gap depends upon added mass ratio (absorber
mass / unit cell mass). At a fixed mass ratio, optimum number of resonators required
increases with increase in target frequency and at a fixed target frequency optimum
number of resonators required increases with increase in mass ratio. Band width
converges with the increase in number of resonators.

Modelling of acoustic metamaterial is challenging because it is composite material.

Models which are based on concept of averaged homogenous material property can be
used for modelling of acoustic metamaterials. So for homogenous material property,
propagating wave must have larger wavelength as compared to size of subunits. This
will helpful in attenuating of vibration in low frequency band gap.

R. Zhu [5] has analyzed thin metamaterial plate subjected to both in-plane and out-of-
plane waves to study low frequency bandgaps. ANSYS is used for determining
dispersion relations for different configurations of unit cell as shown in Figure 2. The
other reason for simulation is choosing the best configuration of unit cell that produces
low frequency bandgaps.
Figure 2: Dispersion relations of a thin plate with different types of unit cells: (a) only an interior square
cut-out, (b) added interior cantilever, (c) added interior cantilever with a tip mass m1, (d) added interior
cantilever with a tip mass m2= 2m1, (e) added interior cantilever with a tip mass m3 = 3m1.[5]

It is noticed that no low frequency bandgaps are found for first two configuration of unit
cells. The low frequency bandgaps are found in the unit cells that contains mass at the
tip of cantilever. It is also observed that as the tip mass increases, the bandgap
frequency decreases. Now this configuration is taken for the experiment to know the
exact position of bandgap by propagating both in-plane and out -of -plane waves in the
form of input voltage spectrum. The transmitted voltage signal is measured as output.
The input voltage and transmitted signal is normalized with respect to their maximum
value. The predicted band gaps are shown by shaded region as shown in Figure 3 and
4 for in-plane and out-of-plane respectively.
Figure3. Experimental measurements of in-plane wave: (a) spectrum of the original five peak input signal;
(b) spectrum of the transmitted signal. [5]

Figure 4. Experimental measurements of out-of-plane wave: (a) spectrum of the original five peak input
signal; (b) spectrum of the transmitted signal. [5]
a. Liu, Z., Chan, C. T., and Sheng, P., 2005, “Analytic Model of Phononic Crystals
With Local Resonances,” Phys. Rev. B, 71(1), p. 014103.